Fluorescent Tube Recycling
[Fluorescent Tube Recycling]
Fluorescent Tube & Lamp Recycling for Businesses
Licensed hazardous WEEE collection for fluorescent tubes, CFLs, and mercury-containing lamps. Lamp coffins supplied. Waste Transfer Notes on every collection. Nationwide UK coverage.
T5 & T8 Fluorescent Tubes Banned from Sale: February 2024
The UK RoHS Regulations ban on T5 and T8 fluorescent tube sales means millions of tubes are now end-of-life with no replacement stock available. Businesses upgrading to LED have a legal obligation to dispose of spent tubes compliantly as hazardous WEEE. We make that straightforward.
Waste Carrier CBDU579018
Hazardous WEEE Licensed
Lamp Coffins Supplied
Nationwide UK Coverage
Get a lamp recycling quote
Business enquiries · Response within 24 hrs
Your legal obligations
Fluorescent tube disposal is regulated by law
Fluorescent tubes are classified as both hazardous waste and WEEE. As a business you face obligations under multiple pieces of legislation. Non-compliance carries serious penalties. Here is what applies to you.
WEEE Regulations 2013
Category 5: Lighting Equipment
Fluorescent tubes and mercury-containing lamps are classified as WEEE under Category 5. Businesses must arrange collection by a licensed waste carrier. Tubes cannot be placed in general waste or skips. A Waste Transfer Note is legally required on every collection. The maximum penalty for non-compliant disposal is £30,000 per lamp.
Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005
England and Wales: Mercury Classification
Fluorescent tubes contain mercury, a toxic heavy metal, classifying them as hazardous waste under the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005. This means they must be stored separately from other waste streams, in appropriate containers, and collected by a carrier licensed to handle hazardous material. Mercury from a single tube can contaminate up to 30,000 litres of water.
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Section 34: Duty of Care
Your business has a statutory duty of care for all waste it produces, including fluorescent tubes. This requires you to ensure waste is stored safely, transferred only to authorised persons, and accompanied by a written description. Breaching duty of care is a criminal offence carrying unlimited fines and potential prosecution.
RoHS Regulations: Sale Ban
T5 & T8 Fluorescent Tubes: 1 February 2024
The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Regulations banned the sale of T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes from 1 February 2024. Businesses can no longer replenish stock. All existing tubes are end-of-life and must be disposed of compliantly under WEEE and hazardous waste regulations when replaced or decommissioned.
Separate Storage Requirement
Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
Since 2015, businesses are legally required to store WEEE separately from other waste. Hazardous WEEE, including fluorescent tubes, must be kept apart from non-hazardous WEEE. Lamp coffins or other appropriate containers are required for compliant on-site storage while awaiting licensed collection.
Waste Transfer Note Requirement
In Force Since 1 July 2007
Since 1 July 2007 it has been illegal to dispose of any lamp without a Waste Transfer Note confirming they are going for recycling, regardless of quantity. This note must be retained by your business for a minimum of two years and produced on request by the Environment Agency or other enforcement authority.
Why compliant disposal matters
Mercury is highly toxic: improper disposal is a serious risk
3.5mg
Average mercury content per fluorescent tube, enough to cause significant environmental harm
30,000L
Litres of water a single tube can contaminate if mercury is released
95%+
Mercury recovery rate achieved through professional recycling at approved facilities
£30,000
Maximum Environment Agency penalty per lamp for non-compliant disposal
Compliant on-site storage
Lamp coffins: the industry-recognised storage solution
The law requires fluorescent tubes to be stored in appropriate containers separately from other waste while awaiting licensed collection. Lamp coffins are the industry-standard solution. We supply them directly to your site.
6ft Lamp Coffin
Standard: offices, retail, schools
- Holds approximately 100 to 150 x 6ft linear tubes
- Ideal for T8 tubes, the most common office and retail lamp
- Made from durable corrugated Correx plastic
- Weatherproof, suitable for indoor and outdoor storage
- Prevents breakage and mercury vapour release
- Reusable, collected, emptied, and returned to site
- Fulfils legal separate storage requirement
8ft Lamp Coffin
Commercial: warehouses, industrial, large estates
- Holds approximately 100 x 8ft or 200 x 4ft linear tubes
- Designed for larger commercial and industrial lamp sizes
- Made from durable corrugated Correx plastic
- Weatherproof, suitable for site and loading bay storage
- Prevents breakage and mercury vapour release
- Reusable, collected, emptied, and returned to site
- Suitable for warehouses, factories, and large building relamping
How the coffin service works: We deliver lamp coffins to your site. You fill them as tubes are replaced. When full, you contact us to arrange collection. We collect the full coffin, leave an empty replacement, and issue your Waste Transfer Note and recycling certificate. No wasted journeys, no compliance gaps, no storage headaches.
What we collect
All mercury-containing lamp types accepted
We handle all lamp types classified as hazardous WEEE under Category 5 of the WEEE Regulations. If it contains mercury, we collect it compliantly.
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T8 Fluorescent Tubes
Linear 1-inch diameter tubes, the most common lamp in offices, retail, and warehouses. Banned from sale February 2024.
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T5 Fluorescent Tubes
Slimline 5/8-inch diameter tubes used in modern fittings. Banned from sale September 2023.
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CFL Compact Fluorescent
Spiral and folded compact fluorescent lamps used in downlights and general fittings. Mercury-containing, hazardous WEEE.
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HID Lamps
High Intensity Discharge lamps including metal halide, high-pressure sodium (SON), and mercury vapour lamps used in industrial and external lighting.
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UV & Sunbed Lamps
UV germicidal lamps and sunbed lamps, mercury-containing and classified as hazardous WEEE requiring specialist disposal.
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T12 & Legacy Tubes
Older T12 and larger diameter fluorescent tubes from legacy fittings and older commercial and industrial installations.
Who we work with
Any business generating fluorescent tube waste
Any organisation upgrading to LED or managing ongoing lamp waste has a legal obligation to dispose compliantly. We work with businesses of all sizes across all sectors.
01
Facilities Managers
LED upgrade programmes and ongoing lamp waste across commercial estates
02
Electrical Contractors
Relamping and LED retrofit projects generating tube waste on client sites
03
Warehouses & Distribution
High-bay fluorescent and HID lamp replacement in large industrial spaces
04
Retail Chains
Multi-site estate relamping programmes generating large consistent volumes
05
Schools & Universities
Education sector LED upgrades with WEEE duty of care documentation requirements
06
NHS & Healthcare
Hospital and healthcare facility lamp replacement with full compliance audit trails
07
Manufacturing & Industrial
Factory and production facility HID and fluorescent lamp disposal
08
Property Management
Commercial landlords managing lamp disposal across multi-tenancy buildings
How it works
Four steps to compliant lamp disposal
Simple, documented, and designed around your relamping programme or ongoing disposal needs. One-off collections and scheduled programmes both available.
01 — Enquire
Get a quote
Use the form above or call 0330 223 7062. Tell us your lamp types, volume, and location. We respond within 24 hours with a clear quote. We will also advise on the right lamp coffin size for your site.
02 — Storage
Coffin delivered to site
We deliver lamp coffins directly to your site. Fill them as tubes are replaced. Correx construction keeps tubes intact and prevents mercury vapour release, fulfilling your legal separate storage obligation.
03 — Collection
We collect when full
Contact us when coffins are full. We collect the full coffin and leave an empty replacement. For large estates and ongoing programmes, we can set up scheduled collections at a frequency that suits your volume.
04 — Documentation
Waste Transfer Notes issued
A Waste Transfer Note and recycling certificate is issued on every collection. This satisfies your legal duty of care, proves WEEE compliance, and provides the documentation your business must retain for a minimum of two years.
Why choose Olital
The compliant lamp disposal partner for UK businesses
Licensed hazardous WEEE carrier
Waste Carrier Licence CBDU579018. Authorised to collect and transport fluorescent tubes as hazardous WEEE. Your duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is fully discharged on every collection.
Waste Transfer Notes provided
A legally compliant Waste Transfer Note is issued on every collection. This is your proof of compliant disposal, required for Environment Agency inspections and retained for a minimum of two years.
Lamp coffins supplied
We supply 6ft and 8ft Correx lamp coffins to your site. Durable, weatherproof, and reusable. Fulfils the legal requirement to store fluorescent tube waste separately in appropriate containers.
Nationwide UK coverage
We collect from sites across England, Wales, and Scotland. Scheduled programmes for high-volume and multi-site operations. One contract, all sites.
95%+ mercury recovery
All lamps are processed through Environment Agency-approved facilities achieving over 95% mercury recovery. Glass, metals, and phosphor powder are also recovered and recycled. Zero landfill.
One-off and scheduled collections
Whether you have a single building relamping project or ongoing lamp waste across a multi-site estate, we have a service that fits. No minimum contract required for one-off collections.
Frequently asked
Questions
Fluorescent tubes are classified as both hazardous waste and WEEE under UK law. They contain mercury, a toxic heavy metal, which means they must be stored, collected, and recycled by a licensed carrier. Placing them in general waste is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of £30,000 per lamp under the WEEE Regulations. They must also be stored separately from other waste streams.
A lamp coffin is a rigid corrugated Correx plastic container designed to store fluorescent tubes safely on site while awaiting licensed collection. The law requires businesses to store fluorescent tube waste in appropriate containers, separately from other waste. Lamp coffins are the industry-standard solution. We supply 6ft and 8ft coffins to suit standard tube lengths. We deliver them, collect them when full, and leave a replacement.
Every collection comes with a Waste Transfer Note, a legal requirement since 1 July 2007. This confirms your tubes have been transferred to a licensed carrier for recycling, fulfilling your duty of care. You must retain this document for a minimum of two years. We also provide a recycling certificate confirming the material has been processed through an approved facility.
Yes. LED tubes are also classified as WEEE and must be disposed of through a licensed collector, though unlike fluorescent tubes they are not classified as hazardous waste because they do not contain mercury. They must still be collected separately from general waste and recycled through a licensed WEEE facility.
No. Fluorescent tubes must be kept intact wherever possible during storage and collection. Breaking them releases mercury vapour, which is hazardous to health and the environment. This is why lamp coffins are used, they protect tubes from accidental breakage. If you have broken tubes, contact us and we will advise on the appropriate handling procedure for your situation.
Yes. We manage multi-site lamp collection programmes across England, Wales, and Scotland under a single service agreement. This is particularly suited to retail chains, property management companies, and NHS trusts with ongoing lamp waste across many locations. We can supply coffins to all sites and coordinate collections centrally.
For standard collections we can typically arrange within 5 to 10 working days of booking. For urgent requirements, such as a broken tube situation or a site inspection pending, call us directly on 0330 223 7062 and we will do our best to prioritise your collection.
Tubes are processed at Environment Agency-approved specialist facilities. Glass is crushed and recovered for reuse in sandblasting and reflective material manufacture. Metals including aluminium end caps are recovered for recycling. Mercury is extracted and purified for reuse, achieving over 95% recovery. Phosphor powder is also recovered. Nothing goes to landfill.
Get in touch
Ready to arrange compliant lamp disposal?
Fill in the form at the top of this page for a quote, or call us directly during business hours.
0330 223 7062 Request a quote →